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Orion
''Also see: Orion (mirror) for information on the Orion counterparts found in the mirror universe.'' The Orions are a humanoid species originating from the planet Orion. Physiology and Society Orions are known for their distinctive green skin. Orion males are typically bald and, on average, taller and more muscular than an average Human male. Orion females are very animalistic in nature, known for their extreme carnal appetites and their innate skill of seduction. The Human male can rarely resist the alluring dance of the Orion slave girl. (TOS: "The Menagerie, Part II) In Orion society the males are slaves to the females. As a means of deception to other species, however, the Orions maintain the facade that the females are the slaves. This is commonly done by selling Orion females on the Orion slave market. (ENT: "Borderland"; TOS: "The Cage") Once sold to a male, the Orion slave girls use their unique physiology to their advantage; their highly potent pheromones accelerates the metabolisms of males of many species, raising adrenaline production to dangerous levels which causes aggression and ultimately a form of delusion. Its most significant effect is to make them succeptable to suggestion. Not long after, the "owner" males begin taking orders from their "slave" females. Human females react negatively to those same pheromones, experiencing headaches and Denobulan males find their sleep cycles interrupted by them. However, Vulcans are immune to effects of the pheromones. The pheromones effects are cumulative, the longer exposed the more pronounced the results are. In 2155 Dr. Phlox of the Enterprise NX-01 theorized that the pheromone acts as a defense mechanism against competition. (ENT: "Bound") History The planet Orion was once a highly advanced civilization whose history has drawn great interest from Federation historians and archaeologists alike. During the mid-23rd Century noted Federation archaeologist, Doctor Roger Korby, translated medical records from the Orion ruins that helped revolutionize modern immunization techniques and became required reading at Starfleet Academy. (TOS: "What Are Little Girls Made Of?") In 2269, through the assistance of the Guardian of Forever, Starfleet officers Captain Kirk, Commander Spock and historian Lieutenant Erikson traveled to the dawn of the Orion's civilization to view the planet's history unfolding firsthand. (TAS: "Yesteryear") During the 24th century, the Orions ran the prestigious Institute of Cosmology located on Orion I. (VOY: "Good Shepherd") Politics Little is known about the organization of the Orion government, or if indeed, a central government exists. Prior to 2270, the Orions had carefully maintained an air of neutrality, especially while operating in and around Federation space. This, however, has proven to be more of a guise than a reality, and was often used as an effort to cover their usually shady operations. Nevertheless, Orion's official position of neutrality comes before ship and crew, as all unsuccessful Orion missions end in suicide. Orions would keep that rationale in good conscience, as they would otherwise fall subject to Federation retaliation, if they were to lose their neutrality. (TOS: "Journey to Babel"; TAS: "The Pirates of Orion") Trade Entities trade at the Orion colony in 2254.]] Despite the rich cultural history of Orion and outside of their "official" stance of neutrality, a dark side of the Orion culture exists in their active trafficking of forced labor through the Orion slave markets, especially their slave girls. Verex III and the Orion colony were well-known trade centers during the 22nd and 23rd centuries. (ENT: "Borderland"; TOS: "The Cage") The primary entity operating within these confines were known as the Orion Syndicate, which was comprised of a conglomeration of traders, pirates and smugglers. These individuals were also well known for their many illegal operations outside of the slave trade including: extortion, theft, raids, kidnappings and assassinations. (DS9: "The Ascent", "Honor Among Thieves", "Prodigal Daughter") A secondary entity operating within the Orion realm was known as the Orion Free Traders. The Orion Free Traders had a partially established relationship with the Vulcans during the late-24th Century. (DS9: "Call to Arms")'' Orion territory is located adjacent to both the Federation and the Klingon Empire. The region of space, which separates the Orion Syndicate from the Klingon Empire, is known as the "Borderland". During the 22nd Century, this volatile region of space attracted the most dangerous elements from both sides. (ENT: "Borderland") Contact with Humans The first known Orion contact with Humans was made with Arik Soong in the 2130s. Soong established a relationship with the Orion Syndicate in order to acquire certain goods and equipment he, and his Augments, needed to survive. (ENT: "Borderland") The Orions actively conducted trade with Earth Cargo Service during the 2150s. In late December 2152, an Orion freighter was scheduled to rendezvous with the [[ECS Horizon|ECS Horizon]], however the Horizon failed to make the transfer. (ENT: "Horizon") In 2154, the Earth starship ''Enterprise'' would inadvertently make contact with Orion pirates when they encountered a number of Orion interceptors, which kidnapped nine of Enterprise's crew. The crew was fortunately recovered from the Orion processing station on Verex III, where they had been taken. (ENT: "Borderland") The Orion practice of kidnapping people would continue well into the 24th century. During the 2360s, nearly half the population of a small village on Brinda V vanished by what was determined to be Orion traders. These traders transported the inhabitants off of the planet to work as forced laborers in their mining camps. (DS9: "Shadowplay") Against the Babel Conference Throughout the mid-2260s, Orion smugglers had been actively raiding dilithium from the Coridan system. The Babel Conference, a prelude to Coridan's admission into the Federation, jeopardized future raids, as Coridan would then become subject to Federation law. In 2267, the Orions circumvented their neutrality by attacking the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)|USS Enterprise]], which was responsible for transporting delegates to the Babel Conference. Among the delegates was an Orion spy, Thelev disguised as an Andorian, who in association with an attacking Orion vessel made a futile attempt to prevent the Conference by destroying the USS Enterprise. Had their attack on Starfleet been successful they would have instigated mutual suspicion and possibly interplanetary war. Had war broke out; they would have cleaned up supplying dilithium to both sides while continuing to raid Coridan. (TOS: "Journey to Babel") Loss of Neutrality , 2270.]] Orion's neutrality remained in dispute ever since the Coridan planets affair and the Babel Conference of stardate 3850.3. This would once again be brought to light in 2270 when an Orion pirate ship attacked and raided the [[USS Huron|USS Huron]] of its cargo of dilithium and a shipment of strobolin intended for transfer to the [[USS Enterprise|USS Enterprise]]. The Enterprise was able to track the Orion ship to an asteroid field. Initially, the crew was attacked by, and later accused of, harassing the Orions, who then threatened to file a formal protest with the Federation. However, the Enterprise was able to detect the dilithium in the Orion ship's hold. Captain James T. Kirk, Enterprise's commanding officer at the time, told the Orions that he would allow them to keep the dilithium if they would return the strobolin, and would make no mention of the encounter in his log. The Orions did not trust Kirk, and suggested a nearby asteroid to hand over the drug. However, this suggestion was a ruse, as the Orions planned to destroy themselves and the Enterprise during the exchange to preserve the appearance of Orion neutrality. The plot failed, and the Orion ship and crew was captured further casting doubt on the future of Orions' claim to neutrality. (TAS: "The Pirates of Orion") :Despite being one of the first alien races encountered in ''Star Trek: The Original Series, very little is known about the Orion race. Virtually no information follows Star Trek: The Animated Series, leaving the rest to speculation. One might surmise that following the loss of Orions official neutrality the Orion Syndicate would function as the pseudo-Orion government throughout the 24th century. One indication of this may be explained by the numerous Syndicate references throughout the course of DS9.'' List of Orions * Orions List of Orion starships * Harrad-Sar's ship * Orion freighter * Orion interceptor * Orion marauder * Orion pirate ship * Orion scoutship Appearances * TOS: ** "The Cage" ** "The Menagerie" ** "Journey to Babel" ** "Whom Gods Destroy" * TAS: ** "The Time Trap" ** "The Pirates of Orion" * ENT: ** "Borderland" ** "Bound" ** "In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II" Category:Species de:Orioner